A Captured Heart
by Ihappymac
Summary: Time Traveling to 1939 and bumping into Bucky Barnes with his small anemic looking friend, who oddly looks like Steve Rogers, it's quite easily confusing. The original plan was to find a way to get back to 2016, but then again when does anything ever go as planned? Cross-posted on AO3 DISCLAIMER - MARVEL CHARACTERS BELONG TO MARVEL STUDIOS. I ONLY OWN MY OC's AND PLOT.
1. Prologue

Tony's P.O.V

_June 17, 2016_

I let the brown liquid slide down my throat as I sat at the kitchen counter. "Sir?" F.R.I.D.A.Y asked over the intercom.

"Yeah?" I asked as I filled up my glass again.

"Steve Rogers is here to speak with you." The A.I replied, and I sighed before hearing the door open behind me. The super soldier sighed at the state of me. My shirt was half tucked in, and half tucked out, the tie around my neck was loosened slightly, and my black blazer laying on the counter next to me.

"What do you want?" I asked him. "I'm a bit busy." I didn't turn to him as I downed my second glass of whiskey. Steve sat next to me and watched with a worried gaze.

"Any word yet?" He asked.

"Do you really think I would be here if they found her?" I asked him.

"We'll find her Tony, don't worry," Steve said and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Have you talked to Pepper?"

"No, she told me only to call her when we find Ellie," I answered and filled up my glass for the third time. Steve grabbed my wrist, and I looked at him.

"I know what it's like to lose people too," Steve said.

"Don't try to sympathize with me, Rogers. You have no idea what I'm going through." I then yanked my wrist out of his hold. "You don't know what it's like to be a father."

"No, I don't," Steve admitted. "But I do know the feeling of letting someone down." Before I had time to ask, Friday spoke up.

"Sir?"

"What do you want, F.R.I.D.A.Y? Can't you let me drown in my own misery?" I asked her as I looked down at my glass.

"They found her." Steve and I then stood up at the same time.

"Where?" I quickly questioned.

"In the woods, sir. About 50 miles from here." F.R.I.D.A.Y informed me.

"Show me," I answered. F.R.I.D.A.Y opened up the live video footage, and I saw her. Nora. My little light kneeled on the ground as the men I sent to find her pointed their guns in her direction. "Why are they pointing their guns?"

"I don't know, one of them said something wasn't right," F.R.I.D.A.Y answered, and I left the room to go get my suit.

"Cap, tell the team I had to step out for a minute," I said.

"Do you need us to come with you?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I'll be fine," I answered and suited up. "Friday, tell Pepper that we found Ellie," I ordered as I followed F.R.I.D.A.Y's directions to the middle of the woods.

"Will do, boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y said as I landed in front of Ellie.

"Sir, you shouldn't be near her." One of the men said, and I looked at him.

"And you shouldn't be pointing a gun at my daughter." I snapped. I climbed out of the suit and slowly walked towards her. "Eleanor, it's me," She was visibly shaking and mumbling something. "Ellie, sweetheart," I bent down in front of her, "Hey-" I lightly placed my hand on her shoulder when she grabbed it, twisted it around and pinned me on my stomach as my head hit the ground.

Then, as she held me to the ground, she demanded, "Где зима? (_Where is Winter?_)"


	2. Chapter 1

_Friday, June 21, 1994_

A twenty-four-year-old Tony Stark sat in his lab, tinkering around with one of his many cars when the doorbell rang. He ignored it and continued with his work. The doorbell rang once more and Tony, again, ignored it. When the doorbell rang for the third time, the billionaire sighed and placed his tools down on a table nearby. He walked upstairs towards the door and opened it up.

Outside was a blonde woman holding a small bundle of the pink blanket in her arms. Tony didn't know her, but then again she wouldn't be here if he hadn't met her. "Oh hello," He smiled a bit as he looked the lady up and down. She was extremely attractive. "How can I help you?" Tony asked. The lady groaned, then walked past him and into the living room. Tony watched as she turned to him with a scowl.

"You don't even remember me do you?" She asked, and Tony looked at her, confused, which only caused her to roll her eyes. "Whatever," The blonde walked up to Tony and began to place the bundle of blankets in his arms.

Tony looked confused as he holds the bundle in his arms but becomes scared once he looks down at the little bundle. Inside the pink blankets was a sleeping baby girl, and this caused Tony to look up at the mystery lady. She was placing a black bag and a folder on the kitchen island. The playboy walked over to her, as she turned around, and attempt to hand her back her daughter, but she stopped him by holding up her hand.

"I don't want her." She said.

"Then why bring her to me and not an orphanage?" Tony asked as he held the baby more comfortable in his arms, knowing the mother wouldn't take her back.

"Because she's your daughter," she said. "Honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you ended up giving her to an orphanage tomorrow. She's a mistake anyways," And as the words left her mouth, Tony felt a need to protect the little girl in his arms from the woman standing in front of him. "Well," The new mother sighed. "Here's the paperwork you need to sign, so I'm no longer responsible for her since that's your job now. I also left some papers in there if you choose to give her up as well. The birth certificate is in that folder there, so fill it out whenever you wish." The woman then kissed a baffled Tony Stark on the cheek and gave the baby a disgusted look before walking out the door, slamming it behind her.

The noise seemed to snap Tony out of his trance, and he looks back down at the baby girl in his arms as she started to squirm a bit. The billionaire watched as she opened up her eyes for the first time since she'd arrived. The baby had his eyes. They looked at him curiously, but not in fear, which came as a relief to Tony, because he didn't want to deal with a crying infant right now.

One of her little hands escaped for the bundle of pink blankets and reached up for him. Tony raised his hand and looked at his daughter in awe as she grabbed his finger. "Hi," He whispered and felt tears welled up in his eyes as the baby smiled at him. Oh yeah, he was definitely going to keep her now.

〜〜〜

It had been two hours since Tony found out he had a daughter and within that time he had run a DNA test to make sure the baby was his, called Pepper, and managed to gather everything he needed to take care of his daughter. Pepper watched Tony as he sat down on the couch next to her, and he fed his daughter a warm bottle. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Tony, the most self-centered man she has ever known, caring for another living being.

"Does she have a name?" Pepper asked, and Tony looked over at her before shaking his head. "Is the mother coming back?" Tony shook his head again.

"She wants nothing to do with her," Tony explained as he placed the empty baby bottle down on the coffee table. "Took care of her for a whole week and never bothered to give her a name."

"I don't understand how she could give up her child," Pepper wondered and rubbed the little girl's arm. "I would never be able to do that." The woman smiled as the baby stared at her curiously before returning the smile. "She so beautiful Tony."

"She's a Stark after all." He replied, which only made Pepper roll her eyes. Tony then stood up and handed his daughter to her. The assistant cradled the baby confused as she watched him walk over to the kitchen counter and come back with a birth certificate. "Now what should we call you?" Tony wondered as he looked back over to his daughter.

"Amelia?" Pepper suggested, and the baby squirmed, having not like the name, which caused the woman holding her to laugh. "Ok then, how about Katherine?"

"Nah, she doesn't look like a Kathrine," Tony interjected. "What about...Eleanor?" The little girl was quick to gurgle happily at the name, and her father smiled. "Well, I guess that decides it."

Tony placed the certificate on the coffee table as he wrote out the name _Eleanor Maria Stark _on the birth certificate. He then signed his name on the line, claiming that he was indeed the father, but he couldn't help letting his eyes drift to the box meant for her mother's signature. Oh, how Tony wished his daughter would grow up with a loving mother because honestly, he didn't know how to be a father and needed help raising her. Elenor's laughter snapped him out of his thought and made him turn to her and Pepper. He watched as his assistant was cooing and laughing along with her when Tony suddenly got an idea.

Pepper looked up to see Tony holding out the pen to her. She looked at him, confused before noticing the only blank box left on the certificate. "Tony I couldn't-"

"Come on, Pep. We both know I'm going to need all the help I can get when it comes to raising her," He argued. "Not to mention the fact that she already likes you."

This caused Pepper to look back down and see little Eleanor playing with the collar of her blazer and smiling. '_Tony was right_,' she thought, '_he would need all the help he could get when it came to raising a baby_.' Pepper sighed before handing Eleanor back to Tony and taking the pen from his hand. She signed her name and sighed. Looks like she was going to be visiting Tony a lot more often than she thought.

* * *

_June 14, 1995_

For the past year, Tony had lost more sleep and gained more stress than he cared to admit. The press was always at his doorstep trying to find out about his daughter, but all they managed to do was wake her up during her nap time. It slowly started to eat away at Tony's patience, since it was also one of the rare moments he could sleep as well.

Thankfully, with the help of his best friend Rhodey (who Tony had asked to be Elenor's godfather), his driver Happy, Tony's business partner Obadiah, and Pepper, they were able to keep the press away long enough for both him and Eleanor to sleep. Although Tony still had a company to run and a daughter to raise, he was always down in his lab tinkering with cars or creating new weapons for the U.S. Army whenever he could. Thankfully, his daughter didn't seem to mind, since Pepper came over and looked after her daughter and she never once regretted signing Elenor's birth certificate. Although, if neither could watch her, she was generally left in the care of Rhodey or Obadiah.

But today was a big day since it was Eleanor's first birthday party. It was only going to be the five of them; Tony didn't want to have the large parties until she was five - or maybe six. He wasn't sure yet.

He and Pepper were currently leaving the park with Eleanor after receiving the text from Rhodey that the house was set up for their mini celebration. Happy drove them back to the mansion and opened up the front door to see the living room in darkness. Tony flicked on the light as he held Eleanor on his waist. Rhodey and Obadiah yelled, "Surprise!" as they greeted the little birthday girl.

Eleanor received a pink onesie from her uncle Rhodey that said, "My Uncle's the Best!" in gold cursive lettering. Obadiah gave her a stuffed teddy bear, which she didn't let go of the entire party. Happy gifted her a toy xylophone that Pepper knew would annoy Tony within the first week of owning it. Pepper bought her daughter a new blanket and some more clothes. While Tony, well he got her so many new toys that the guests attending their little party lost count.

* * *

_September 7, 1999_

Tony had been dreading this day for quite some time now. Happy was driving him and Ellie to the local elementary school. It was his daughters first day of Kindergarten, and while her eagerness to make friends amused him, he didn't want to part with her for an entire day.

"Daddy!" Ellie exclaimed while tugging on the sleeve of his blazer. She was pointing at the elementary school building as they drove closer to it. He put on a fake smile as his little light started to talk about all the new friends she could make now that she was going to school.

Tony and Ellie got out of the limousine as other parents and children stared in shock that Tony Stark's daughter was going to the same school. Eleanor, on the other hand, was dragging her father towards the front doors of the school with him chuckling at her excitement.

When they walked in, Tony asked for directions to the Kindergarten classroom as he picked up Ellie and held her on his waist, since he was afraid she would run off and get lost. He walked her to her classroom and introduced both himself and his daughter to her new teacher. After that, Tony helped Ellie take off her Hello Kitty backpack and put it in her assigned cubby, before kneeling in front of her.

"Remember to be kind and to make as many friends as possible. Mom will come to pick you up with Happy at the end of the day, ok? And I'll see you when I get home from work." Tony told his daughter, and she nodded at him. Tony hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Ellie."

"I love you too, dad," Ellie said, now feeling sad that she wouldn't see her father for most of the day. They pulled away, and Tony smiled at her as she ran towards the other kids. He watched her for a few moments before turning around and going back to the limousine, where Happy was waiting outside for him.

"You all good, Tony?" Happy asked having noticed the somber look in the billionaire's eyes.

"Yeah," Tony lied while giving one of his charming smiles. "Yeah, I'm all good. Now let's go before Pepper reprimands us both for not begin on time." Happy laughed as he got into the driver's seat and left the school.

* * *

_June 14, 2007 _

For Eleanor's 13th birthday, Pepper had arranged for her class to come over to the mansion for her birthday party. It was Carnival themed, so there were ponies and even ring toss. Though, per Eleanor's request, they had hired a magician instead of a clown.

Once the party ended, and only Pepper, Tony, and Eleanor were left, Tony walked over to where his daughter sat down as she opened up her birthday present. For some reason, she insisted on waiting until everyone left before she opened up her gifts, which Tony couldn't understand. He sat down next to his daughter as Pepper sat down in the lounge chair diagonal to him.

"Look, dad, Maddy gave me some new sketchbooks," Ellie exclaimed with the brightest smile known to man. Tony smiled as Ellie put the books on the table and turned to Pepper. "Oh! And thank you, mom," Ellie touched the necklace her mother gave her, which was a gold star with a tiny diamond in the middle. "For the necklace. I love it."

"I'm glad, sweetie," Pepper said. Tony smiled at the interaction between the two before clearing his throat, which made the two females look at him. He smiled as he placed his champagne glass down on the coffee table, then faced his 13-year-old daughter. The youngest Stark had become the smartest in her class; there was no doubt about it. Although, every day, she began to become more curious about her dad's lab since she wasn't allowed down there. So, Tony knew exactly what present he was going to give her.

"Well, now it's time for my present. I figured since you'll be going into High School soon, that maybe I should let you help me down in the lab," Tony stated, then stood up and held out his hand to his daughter. Pepper smiled at the pair as Tony lead Ellie towards the lab.

The two walked down, and Eleanor was in awe the second the lights turned on in the lab. She immediately let go of her father's hand and ran towards the line of cars, as she studied each one of them. Her father chuckled as he walked near her. "I take it you like your birthday present," Tony said, and she turned to her father with a wide grin. Eleanor then tackled him in a bear hug, which made Tony stumble back a bit before he returned the hug.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Ellie yelled as she pulled away from him. "Thank you, dad!" She then pulled him into another hug, and Tony smiled as he held his daughter close.

"Your welcome, my little light," Tony said and pulled away. "Come on," He nodded towards his desk. "I have a few projects I think you could help me with." Ellie smiled as she, and her dad walked over to the desk and got to work.


	3. Chapter 2

_April 13, 2008_

Despite Pepper not wanting Ellie to miss class, Eleanor had been staying at the mansion for two weeks, and because she wasn't going to school, her best friend, Maddy, would bring over her school work so she didn't fall behind in her studies. Although, Eleanor couldn't help feeling unsafe in her own home due to the events happening in Afghanistan. This lead to Pepper sleeping at the mansion with Eleanor, so Ellie did not find herself on the couch waiting for her missing father to show up every night.

She knew it was Ellie's way of trying to process the fact that Tony was being held captive, but it broke Pepper's heart to watch as her daughter buried herself in her school work and locked herself in her dad's lab.

Although, today was different. Today was the day they brought Tony home. And there were two things Tony wanted to do: get a cheeseburger and go see his daughter. As he walked out of the plane, he told Happy to get two cheeseburgers and drive him back to the mansion. Tony couldn't wait to see Eleanor, getting home to her was what kept him fighting when he was stuck in that cave with Yinsen.

Pepper was at the mansion because she wanted to stay with Eleanor, even if that meant only seeing her when she emerged for the lab for dinner. The woman was on her laptop when Rhodey walked in the front door with Tony. Pepper stood up and looked at the billionaire in shock. His right arm was in a sling and he was holding a brown bag, which contained two cheeseburgers.

"Oh my God!" She said softly as she walked up to Tony.

"Where is she, Pep?" Tony asked and Pepper pointed to the lab.

Tony walked down the staircase with both Pepper and Rhodey trailing behind him softly. Tony saw his daughter testing out different simulations with J.A.R.V.I.S as she sat at his desk. He opened the lab door and walked towards his daughter and the fact that he was in the same room as her, almost brought him to tears.

Ellie groaned, thinking it was her mother standing behind her to ask, yet again, if she had finished her homework. She did, in fact, and just wanted to left alone. "What mom? I did my homework." Ellie stated as she placed her sketchbook on the table and turned around to the person behind her.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of her father and Tony gave her a weak smile. Eleanor stood up slowly and walked towards her father. Her first few thoughts were that she was so sleep deprived, from the night before, that she was hallucinating. But when she reached out and touched her father's shoulder, she broke down into tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Tony put the fast food bag down on a table nearby before he wrapped his good arm around his daughter's waist. Pepper was covering her mouth, trying not to cry, and Rhodey just wore a small smile before they both retreated upstairs. Tony and Ellie didn't pull away for a long time, as the father tried to comfort the crying girl in his arms.

"I'm here," he whispered to her. "It's okay, it's okay."

"I was so scared," Eleanor sobbed and he shushed her gently. He looked down at her as she pulled away softly and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"It's alright. I'm here and I'm never going to leave you like that again, ok?" He asked and she nodded before burying herself in her father's chest. In fear that if she would let go, he would disappear.

〜〜〜

Eleanor was asleep in bed when she shot up, wide awake. Sweat covered her from head to toe as she swung her legs to the side of her bed. Her dad had been back home for about two weeks now, and she had started going back to school a week ago. She hated how everyone there gave her sympathetic looks because of what she had been through, and she just wished they would go back to treating her like normal.

But her nightmare never changed. It was always her waking up, finding herself in the mansion all alone with her dad still being held captive. She got up and made her way to the kitchen, hoping that a glass of water would help her calm down, but when she got to the living room, she saw the lab light on. Furrowing her eyebrows together, Eleanor made her way down there and saw her dad sitting at his desk, working on something.

It looked like a suit of armor, and she knew he wasn't making it for the company since he swore off making things like that in his press conference. _Then why is dad making armor?_ She thought as she typed in the passcode to the lab. Her dad was so engrossed in his own work he didn't notice her walk inside.

"Dad?" She asked and he turned towards the noise. Tony looked confusedly at her as he closed the window on his suit.

"Why are you up?" Tony asked and he walked over to her. Ellie's eyes shifted down to the blue circle on his chest. It was still surreal that this little arc-reactor was keeping her dad alive, but she was grateful for it. Ellie looked back at her father and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I - um - I had a-a nightmare." She said not wanting to lie to her dad, but not wanting to confess about the nightmares she been having either. Tony looked worried but bent down in front of his daughter.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked and she shook her head as she looked towards his desk again.

"What were you doing down here?" She asked.

"Just working on a last-minute idea," He answered

"What's the idea?" Ellie asked curiously and Tony sighed as he stood up.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Her father stated, even though he had no intention of telling her.

"But dad-"

"No buts, missy," He cut off. "It's way past your bedtime, and you need your sleep so you can do well in school tomorrow." Ellie frowned and huffed dramatically as she crossed her arms. "Come on Ellie, I'll take you back up to your bed," Tony said and walked her up the stairs to her bedroom.

〜〜〜

Iron Man, named by the press, had made his debut to the world and Ellie was pissed. Her father didn't tell her about it at all, and instead, she heard the information come from her mother's mouth rather than his. Pepper was cleaning some of her father's wounds from the battle as Tony read the paper. "Iron Man that's kind of catchy?" Tony commented and glance at his daughter who sat in front of him. "I mean it's got a nice ring to it. I mean, it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy, but it's kind of evocative, the imagery, anyway."

Ellie looked down as she rolled her eyes at her father. A man in a black and white suit, who she believes is Agent Coulson, hands her father a blue note card and says, "Here's your alibi."

Her father closed the paper, takes the note card and says, "Ok," as her mother started to cover up the cuts on his face with makeup.

"You were on your yacht," Coulson explained.

"Yeah," Tony said.

"We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night, and sworn statements from 50 of your guests." Ellie was impressed as her father looked between her mother and her.

"See, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just Pepper, Ellie, and me on the island. Like a family getaway," Tony suggested and Ellie gave her dad a small smirk, as her mother glared at him.

"That's what happened," Coulson stated.

"All right," Her dad said, coming to terms that his idea was shut down.

"Just read it, word for word," Coulson said as Tony glanced over the cards confused.

"What is it, dad?" Ellie asked him.

"There's nothing about Stane here," Tony answered. Ellie felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over her. She didn't understand how Obadiah could betray her father, and try to kill him, for money.

"That's being handled. He's on vacation," Coulson told him. "Small aircraft have such a poor safety record."

"But what about the whole cover story that it's a bodyguard?" Tony asked unconvinced. "He's my... I mean, is that...That's kind of flimsy, don't you think?"

"This isn't my first rodeo, Mr. Stark," Coulson assured him. "Just stick to the official statement, and soon, this will all be behind you." The agent looked to the TV behind Tony. "You've got 90 seconds." Then made his way to the door as Pepper followed him.

Tony looked at his daughter who sat in front of him with a hurt expression on her face. "You ok, Ellie?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"I'm happy you're alive and safe, but I still feel hurt that you didn't tell me about the suit." Tony sighed as he looked down. "I could have helped you design it and run tests!" She explained and Tony let out a small laugh.

"You are definitely my daughter," Tony commented as he looked at her. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Apology accepted," Ellie said as her father stood up and pulled her into a hug.

He pulled away and walked over to her mother as Ellie stood in front of the TV watching her Uncle Rhodey talk to the press. She watched as her father walked on and said the four words that would change all of their lives.

"I am Iron Man."


	4. Chapter 3

_October 12th, 2008_

Tonight, Tony was announcing the construction of the Stark Expo. Ellie stood backstage with her mother as her father made his entrance in his Iron Man suit.

At first having Iron Man as your dad was cool, especially when you've just entered high school and are trying to make friends. But Eleanor quickly realized that all her friends were only friends with her because of who her dad was. Even the teachers were giving her special treatment because of her father. She hated it. Ellie didn't need it and all she wanted was to be treated like a normal teenage girl.

The only friend she had now was Maddy, and she didn't even have any class with her. She felt immensely alone and her father, who loved her dearly, was too busy living in the limelight of being the world's newest superhero. Ellie would be lying if she said there wasn't a part of her that wished her dad never told the world he was Iron Man, but she also hated that wish, especially since her dad was so fond of the attention.

Later that night, her father was having an after-party at their house, so she was going to stay at her mother's place to do her homework. Since she never wanted him to know how much she hated the fact that he was Iron Man, her father never noticed the resentment towards his newfound fame.

〜〜〜

Ellie was happy that her father gave her mother the job of CEO. She often visited her mother's new office, on her days off from school, so she could join her for lunch. Ellie made her way down to the gym to see if her mother would drop her off at the mall to meet up with Maddy. She watched as a red-haired woman got into the training ring with Happy, then spotted her parents sitting nearby.

"Hey mom," Ellie said as she walked to them while also noticing the redhead, who watched her every move.

"Hey sweetheart," Tony said and Ellie sent her dad a convincing smile before looking back at her mom, who had now looked up at her.

"Mom, I was wondering if you could drop me off at the mall on your way back to work?" Ellie asked and her mother smiled, then nodded.

"Of course, are you meeting up with Maddy?" She asked and Ellie nodded in conformation as she glanced back over to the ring. Happy had gotten the lady's attention and before she knew it the woman pinned Happy to the mat in a heartbeat. "Oh my god!" Her mother exclaimed as the woman got up and out of the ring.

Ellie watched her dad sign whatever papers necessary, then give the woman a small smirk as she left the room. "I like her," Ellie commented which caused her father to smile but her mother to roll her eyes.

〜〜〜

Tony was having another party at the mansion tonight. Pepper had to attend but was going to drop Ellie off at Maddy's house since the girls were planning to have a sleepover anyway. Although, before Ellie left, she walked down to her father's lab in order to tinker around with one of her father's cars. She had an idea on how to make the car fly but needed J.A.R.V.I.S to run a few simulations overnight, while she was gone. Eleanor sat down at her father's desk and turned on the computer to see a bar.

92% Palladium.

'_What does that mean?_' She thought.

"What are you doing down here?" Ellie heard her father say, bitterly and turned around to see him staring at her with his jaw clenched. "I thought you left to go to Maddy's." She didn't understand why her father was upset, she was allowed in the lab.

"I was about to leave, but I wanted J.A.R.V.I.S to run a simulation for me overnight and if it worked I was hoping you would help me apply it to one of the cars. But-" She turned back to the screen. "I found this when I opened up the computer." Tony sprinted over there and turned the computer off before looking at his daughter. "Dad, what does it mean by 92% Palladium?"

Tony sighed as he looked away from his daughter. He was hoping he wouldn't have to tell her about the Palladium poison coming from his arc reactor. But his silence started to make his daughter worry and he knew he couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"It's the metal I used to make the arc reactor in my chest," Tony said and looked at her with the most crestfallen expression she had ever seen him wear. "The 92%-" Tony's voice cracked. He didn't want to tell her that he was dying. But he couldn't lie to her either, and she had a right to know.

"The 92% what?" Ellie asked.

"There's 92% of Palladium poisoning is inside my body. Once it reaches 100..." Tony trailed off. Ellie felt like time stood still for a moment.

"You're dying?" Ellie stuttered, even though she knew it was true. She only got confirmation when her dad looked away. "Does mom know?"

"No, and I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell either of you what was going on," He explained.

"Why wouldn't you tell us?!" Ellie yelled. "We could be helping you find a cure!"

"Because I don't want you to watch me die!" Tony yelled back.

"Well, I already have been," Ellie stated and there was a long pause. "You need to cancel your party, dad."

"No, no one can know. Which means I have to keep up appearances and you have to go to your friend's house," Tony said and began to lead his daughter out of the lab. She stopped and turned to him.

"What good will it do if you drink away your time instead of finding a cure?" Ellie asked.

"I've tried-"

"Then try harder," She cut him off.

"I have ok! I have run every simulation known to man and there is NO CURE, ELEANOR!" Tony screamed at her. Ellie was surprised at her father's outburst but then realized that it was out of fear, not anger.

"Then that's more of a reason not to have this party," His daughter stated. "You should be with the ones you love, not with people who are only here to drink away their own problems."

Tony was quiet for a few moments. She was right. He knew that she was right. But all he wanted to do was drink his problems away as well. "Pepper is waiting outside, you should go," Tony said, calmly.

"Dad-"

"Go, Eleanor!" Tony shouted and Eleanor stepped away from him.

'_He doesn't think I can save him.'_ With that thought, Eleanor felt her heartbreak as she looked at her dying father, but did as she was told and went upstairs to her mother.

〜〜〜

The next few days were awkward. Pepper watched as her daughter and Tony didn't speak or stay in the same room as each other. She watched as Tony tried to talk to Eleanor, but Ellie would just ignore him and go to her room instead. Then watched how Eleanor would only go to the lab when her father wasn't there, and the second her father went to join her she would leave.

Tony confessed that they had an argument, so eventually, Pepper just chalked it up to Eleanor having her feelings hurt and inheriting her father's stubbornness. So, as they watched Tony open up the Stark Expo in his typical fashion Pepper mentioned, "When will you forgive him?"

"When he realizes I can help him," Ellie stated. It was true. All the time she spent in the lab recently was to find a way to save her dad, the problem was that she needed his help and was too stubborn to talk to him. This lead to all her ideas failing.

"He knows you can help him," Pepper reassured her, and Ellie almost let out a bitter laugh.

"Really? Cause it doesn't feel like it," Eleanor said, and then all hell broke loose. Almost immediately after, the Expo was attacked. Tony flew towards Ellie and got her far away from the attack. She was at least 3 miles away, on a random rooftop, and had no idea what was going on. "Dad! Dad! What's happening?!" She panicked.

"Stay here, Eleanor! I mean it," Tony said sternly before flying back to the incident.

"DAD!" Ellie yelled as she watched her father fly away.

But she stays where she was, knowing her dad would come back for her and sure enough, within two hours, Tony came back with Pepper - who was screaming at him. Ellie knew better than to get in the middle of them fighting. They ended up kissing which made their daughter very happy. Her parents finally decided to get together, but Pepper pulled away immediately and started looking around until her eyes finally landed on Ellie. Her mother ran up to her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Pepper questioned frantically while looking her daughter over. Tony walked to them and placed a hand on Pepper's shoulder.

"She's fine, J.A.R.V.I.S. would have notified me if she was injured in any way," Tony reassured her, before bringing his own daughter into a hug.

"Dad, I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize. I pushed you away," Tony said and looked down at her. "Plus, you're stuck with me for a long time." Ellie's face lit up.

"You found a cure?" Ellie asked excitedly and he nodded. Everything was going to be okay.


	5. Chapter 4

_March 31, 2012_

Nothing major happened for the next few years, which allowed Tony to relish in watching his daughter grow up. Ellie had gotten a boyfriend during 11th grade, which caused Tony to go into his protective father mode, but they, unfortunately, broke up before her senior year, since he was moving away. Meanwhile, Ellie and Pepper helped Tony work on Stark tower over spring break, but that was a week ago and now Tony was back in California, waiting in his lab for his 17-year-old daughter to get home. '_Ellie's 17'_, Tony thought. It still baffled him on how fast she grew up.

At this moment, Ellie walked through the front door of the mansion with the mail from the post office. Happy would have normally done it, but since Ellie had gotten her driver's license and received one of Tony's cars as a gift for her 16th birthday, she tended to do it herself. Especially today. Today was the day she was going to find out if she got into the college of her dreams.

Harvard.

She really wanted to go, and everybody knew she would get in. She _was_ a Stark after all and had been considered a genius since she was 13. Though, Ellie wanted to attend Harvard for their Criminal Justice Program, which no one saw coming. Especially not Tony. He always thought his child would go to MIT like him and work with computers for the rest of their lives, but he was wrong when it came to Ellie. Although he supported her and agreed that Harvard was a wonderful school, he still asked her to apply to MIT. She did and got in, but made it clear that if she got into Harvard, she was going to Harvard.

Ellie dropped her backpack on the floor by the door and placed the mail on the kitchen counter. She grabbed the big white package with the Harvard logo written on the top. She opened it quickly and located the letter.

"Dear Ms. Stark, I am delighted to inform you that the Committee on Admissions has admitted you to the Class of 2016!" Ellie read out loud to herself in excitement. The next thing she did was rush down to her dad's lab, where she knew he would be, with the letter in hand.

Tony was startled as Ellie ran into the lab and wrapped her arms around his shoulder while he sat down at his desk. "Ellie, not that I don't appreciate the hug but-"

"I got in!" Ellie cut him off and shoved the letter in his hand. "I got into Harvard dad!" Ellie exclaimed as her father read over the letter. Her dad laughed happily, despite the sadness of her not going to MIT, as he stood up and hugged his daughter.

"I'm so proud of you." Tony grinned as he kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks, dad." Ellie giggled and pulled away from him. She took the letter and smiled. "Ok, now I have to go, call mom, I'll be right back." He watched as his daughter ran back upstairs then fell into his desk chair with a small smile on his face.

"College doesn't time fly." He mumbled to himself before going back to work as Ellie called her mother to tell her the good news.

* * *

_September 3, 2012_

Pepper and Tony helped Ellie unpack her boxes into her dormitory at Harvard. Now it was just time to say goodbye, which both parents were dreading. Tony saw how perfectly she fit in here and was happy she was happy. Ellie turned to her parents and sighed, realizing it was time for them to go and for her to be on her own.

"Well, I'm going to miss you," Her mother said and pulled her into a hug. "Call if you need us and keep me informed on how you're doing in your classes." Pepper pulled away, her eyes glossy with tears. "You're free to come by the tower whenever you want."

"I know mom." Ellie acknowledged and Pepper smiled cupping her daughter's cheek.

"I love you." Pepper expressed with a smile.

"I love you too," Ellie replied and felt her own tears starting to form. Pepper then left to give Tony and Ellie some privacy while they said goodbye.

Ellie looked at her dad and he gave her a smile. "You know, I remember the day your biological mother gave you to me. I thought that I wasn't good enough to be your father, but when your little hand grabbed my finger," Tony grabbed his daughter's hand. "I knew everything was going to be ok, as long as I have you in my life." Ellie was on the brink of tears and so was Tony. Any moment now, one of them were bound to start balling their eyes out. "Now look at you, in college...I can never express how proud I am of you. How lucky I am to be your father." Ellie threw her arms around her dad's neck as he pulled her as close as possible to him. They stayed like that in the bittersweet silence.

"I'm going to miss you, Dad," Ellie whispered.

"I'm going to miss you too, lighting bug," Tony puled and she giggled at her nickname while tears began to make their way down her cheeks. They pulled away, and Tony wiped Ellie's tears away. "Call if you need anything, make sure to visit during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer, and always feel free to come to the lab and run any simulations you want."

"I will, dad. I will." Ellie assured him.

"Ok," Tony muttered, then kissed her forehead and brought her into another hug. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, dad," Ellie said as she clung onto her dad. After a minute or two, they pulled away and Tony gave her one more proud smile before leaving her dorm room.

* * *

_October 20th, 2012_

"Hey, Ellie!" One of her roommates called out from their living room. Ellie groaned as she pulled her nose out of her textbook and made her way to the living room.

"What, Liz, I'm a bit busy-" Ellie stopped talking when she saw what was on the news. Her father's tower with a blue light shooting into the sky. Creatures invading New York. "Dad," Ellie muttered as she watched the battle on TV. "Um-" Liz looked at her roommate when she heard her phone ringing. "I'll be right back."

Ellie ran into her room and saw her dad calling and answered immediately. "Daddy?" Ellie asked scared.

"Hey, sweetheart," Tony said.

"Where are you?" She asked. "I was watching the news, and there this blue light coming from the tower-"

"I know, Ellie, I know," Tony said. "I'm trying to stop it."

"What do you mean?"

"I love you, Ellie," Tony said and Ellie went back to the TV to see her dad flying something towards the black hole.

"Dad, what are you doing?" She asked.

"I love you."

"Dad, what's happening?" Ellie replied and then the call dropped as she watched her dad fly into the hole. "Dad?" Liz looked at her roommate worriedly and pitifully. "DAD!" Ellie screamed into her phone before pulling it away and seeing that the call had ended.

〜〜〜

It had been two hours since the battle ended, and Ellie hadn't heard from her dad yet. _I didn't say it back_, Ellie repeated in her head, _I didn't say it back_. She was pacing in her bedroom until she saw her door open and turned towards it. There he was. Her dad, in all his glory. She ran towards him and held him in a bone-crushing hug. But, before he could answer any of her questions, the first thing she said to him was, "I love you too, dad."

* * *

_September 22nd, 2013_

I was sitting in my dorm, flicking through the TV, and saw a headline cross over the screen "Stark Issues Threat" and her home in California began shown. She let out a small scream as she watched the Mansion get hit and crumble to pieces. She then grabbed her phone and called her dad. It took three tries before he answered. "Dad? Dad? Are you ok? Is mom ok?" She asked her dad.

"Yes, we're both fine don't worry," Tony answered. "We're ok, although the house isn't looking too great." Ellie laughed as her father reassured her that he and Pepper were safe. Little did she know, he wasn't even at home and was using the remaining battery of his suit to make this call. But that was one thing Tony would keep from her till the day he died.

* * *

_March 2nd, 2014_

Ellie walked into the small cafe, where the email she had received earlier that day said to meet and saw an older man. He wore an eyepatch and gave her a calculating look as she walked in, which caused her to sit down with him. "Hello, I'm-"

"Eleanor Stark." The man said. "The name's Fury and I work with your dad."

"Is that why you called me here? Is there something wrong with him?" Ellie asked worriedly. At the end of last year, her dad managed to get the rest of the scrap metal out of his chest, so he wouldn't need the reactor anymore. But, he continued to be Iron Man and she slowly started to notice the strain it put on her parents.

"No, nothing's wrong with him." Fury answered. "I'm here to offer you a job with S.H.I.E.L.D, or specifically, the Avengers."

"What kind of job?" Ellie asked.

"Interrogation." Fury replied as he pulled out a file. "Your file says you managed to finish a three-year law course at Harvard, in two." Ellie blushed and looked down at her hands. "I'm not at all surprised considering who your father is, but you have the perfect ranks to join our organization."

"But what does this have to do with the interrogation?" Ellie asked.

"Well, long story short, your job will be to interrogate the people your father and his friends bring in for information. But because you're working for Avengers, we will need to also train you, in case something were to happen." Fury glanced down at your file. "I think I'll have Natasha train you, I feel like it will be nice for you to have a familiar face."

"What?" Ellie asked and Fury put a photo of Natasha on the table. Ellie was shocked, to say the least when she saw the redhead who had pinned Happy down when she was 14 in the photograph. "Okay," She passed back the photo, realizing she probably didn't have a say in who trained her. "Does my dad know you're offering me this job?"

"No," Fury answered. "I would prefer to keep it that way for a little while." Ellie nodded as she began to process the information that was given to her. Ellie stared at Fury for a while. This was the opportunity she had always wanted, but that also meant she would have to lie to her dad for god knows how long. "Well, will you be joining us?"

"Yes, yes I believe I will."


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Steve and Eleanor never met in 2013

* * *

Eleanor's P.O.V

_Tuesday, June 14th, 2016 _

It was my 22nd birthday. Once I interrogated these last two agents, I had the rest of the day off, and I was excited to spend it with my dad. I was officially out of college and working at Avengers Tower. Dad wasn't happy when he first found out, but slowly came to accept it as time went on. Natasha continued to be somewhat of a training mentor to me, and she quickly became one of my closest friends, along with Wanda.

As I walked down the hallway to the interrogation room, I checked my phone to see a text from my friend Maddy wishing me a happy birthday. I texted her back before putting my phone in my blazer pocket and walking into the interrogation room.

I placed the file down in front of the last two Hydra agents we captured, before taking a seat in front of them. "You guys are in a lot of trouble," I said to them. "Attempting to steal classified documents and killing twenty civilians." I dramatically whistled as I sat back in my chair. "I could talk to my superiors and see if we could discuss an early release, so long as you tell us why you wanted said documents."

The two agents stiffened in their chairs and looked at me, confused. "Солдат? (_Soldier?_)" The blonde agent asked. Now it was my turn to be confused.

"I'm sorry?" I asked. "I didn't quite get that."

"Где находится актив? (_Where is the asset?_)" The brown-haired agent asked me as they leaned closer towards me, and I looked at him with the same expression.

"I don't understand," I told them. "Now, are you going to tell me why you wanted these documents, or what?" Both men looked at each other before the blonde-haired man clasped his hands together and started to speak.

"отказываться от (_Abandon_), свет (_Light_), Реактор (_Reactor_), Двадцать два (_Twenty-two_), чёртово колесо (_Ferris Wheel_), кукла (_Doll_), сорок пять (_Forty-five_), большое горе (_Heartbreak_), урон (_Loss_), лед (_Ice_)," I gave him a blank look as I tried to read his next move. The agents smirked slightly at me before saying, "Зимнее солнцестояние. Готовы выполнить? (_Winter Solstice. Ready to comply?_)" Ok. that's it.

"Look, I don't know what game you're playing, but it isn't working," I told them and grabbed the file. "Let me know when you want to talk." As I stood up, the brown hair agent grabbed my wrist and held me there. Well, that is going to leave a mark.

"отказываться от (_Abandon_), свет (_Light_), Реактор (_Reactor_), Двадцать два (_Twenty-two_), чёртово колесо (_Ferris Wheel_), кукла (_Doll_), сорок пять (_Forty-five_), большое горе (_Heartbreak_), урон (_Loss_), лед (_Ice_)." He repeated and I pulled my wrist from his grip with ease. I then made my way out of the room and towards the observation room.

I walked in and saw my dad walk towards me as I entered. I was moving my wrist around when he grabbed it and looked me over. "Are you ok?" He asked, and I nodded as I glanced at the Hydra agents on the other side of the glass. Everett Ross walked over to my dad and me.

"Are you alright?" Ross asked, and I nodded again. "Do you have any idea what they were saying to you?"

"No, sir," I answered as my dad dropped my hand. "I wish I did, though." Both men followed my gaze to the agents on the other side of the glass.

"Yes, well, until we can get a translator here, we don't want you in the same room as them again." Agent Ross explained, and I gave him the file in my hand. "Looks like you have the rest of the day off to celebrate your birthday." I gave my superior a small smile as he went back to work, and my dad walked out of the room with me.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Dad asked worriedly, and I nodded. The situation was more confusing than anything. I think they said the words doll and light. Maybe a light doll? Whatever the hell that meant, but I couldn't be sure. I'll have to wait until the translator can tell us what they said.

With that in mind, I smiled at my dad and said, "I'm fine, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to Coney Island with me today. You know, like we did when I turned 15?" I hope he says yes; we haven't had a day together since the Avengers were created, because my dad always got pulled away by calls or missions. All I wanted for my birthday was to spend time with him without any interruptions.

"Sunshine, I'm sorry," And there goes all my hopes for today. "But I have to go give a talk in an hour," Dad explained. I was quick to cover up the hurt look on my face. Luckily, SHIELD had trained me to do that, along with lying. "But we'll do something tomorrow, ok? Maybe dinner and a movie?" I smiled and nodded in agreement.

When I looked up, he smiled at me before he turned around and began to walk to the car, waiting for him outside. "Yeah…tomorrow," I mumbled before turning around and going down to the lockers.

I pulled out my locker key from my jacket pocket and sighed. You just had to have a business talk today. You couldn't have done it on any other day that wasn't your daughter's birthday?! I sighed as I closed my eyes and held in my tears. All I asked for was to spend my birthday with my dad like I had my entire life. I glanced at the two Coney Island tickets I had pinned to my locker door. That's when the first tear fell, but I was quick to wipe it away when I heard the entrance to the locker room open.

"Eleanor?" I turned to see Natasha there. I gave her a small smile, but I knew she saw straight through it. She was one of my best friends and gave me a little smile in return.

"Hey Nat," I said to her, and she walked up to me, then handed me a big blue bag.

"This is from Wanda and me," Nat explained, and I took it from her hands before opening it. Inside was a beautiful black leather jacket; I pulled it out as my jaw dropped.

"Oh my god!" I gasped and pulled the ex-assassin into a hug. "I love it!"

Nat pulled away and smiled at me. "Well, try it on." She said, and I laughed as I took my blazer off and handed it to her. I put the jacket on, and it was perfect. "Perfect fit." I gave her another hug and mentally decided to wear it to Coney Island. "So, are you and your dad going to Coney Island?"

My expression fell, and I shook my head, "Umm, no. He has another business talk," I looked back at the tickets in my locker. "But since I already got the tickets, I was just going to go anyways."

"Alright," Nat said sadly, and I turned back to my locker to grab my bag. "I have to go." I nodded and waited for her to walk out before I grabbed one of the tickets. I slammed the locker closed, put my blazer away in the gift bag, and decided to stop by my apartment before heading to the amusement park.

〜〜〜

I walked into my apartment and closed the door behind me. Once I walked into my bedroom, I kicked off my high heels, took off my new leather jacket, and walked over to my closet. I pulled out a pair of light blue ripped jeans, a bright pink shirt, and my black converse. I placed them on my bed and was halfway through changing my clothes when my phone rang. As soon as I pulled down my shirt, I ran to my bag and put the call on speaker.

"Hello?" I asked as I looped my belt through the belt loops of my pants.

"_Hey, sweetie,_" My mom said over the phone.

"Hey, mom, how's the company?" I asked her. She was still in California after she and dad decided to take a break from their relationship. I knew this would happen eventually, but it seemed like the events of Socovia pushed mom to her limits.

"_Good, everything is running smoothly. How's your birthday going? Are you and your dad going to go celebrate tonight?_" She asked me, and I started to put on my shoes.

"Yeah - umm -" Dad decided to have one of his business talks on his daughter's birthday, meaning we'll end up celebrating it tomorrow, even though all I fucking wanted was to spend today with him. "Dad and I are going to go out to dinner tonight." I lied.

"_He's working today, isn't he?_" Mom asked, and I sighed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"_He's your father. He's always working._" I chuckled, and I heard my mom sigh over the phone. "_So, what are you going to do until you can pull your father away from his work?_"

"Well, my original plan was to go to Coney Island with dad, like we did for my 15th birthday, but since I already bought the tickets, I'm just going to go on my own," I explained.

"_Oh, honey, I'm sorry._" Mom apologized, and I took her off the speaker as I held the phone to my ear.

"Mom, do not apologize for dad. He loves me, I know, but lately, it feels like he's more in love with his work. It's not your fault," I explained to her. "I'll be fine and call you when I get home tonight, ok?"

"_Alright, have a fun time and call me if you want me to send the jet to come and get you._" Mom said, and I laughed.

"I will mom," I told her. "I love you."

"_I love you too. Happy Birthday, sweetheart._"

"Thanks, mom," I said.

"_Bye,_" She said.

"Bye." I then ended the phone call and stood up from my place on the bed. Sticking my phone in my back pocket, I put on my jean jacket and grabbed my purse before leaving my flat.

〜〜〜

It was around 3 pm when the taxi dropped me off outside the amusement park. I gave the lady at the gate my ticket, to which she placed a wristband on my arm in return. I walked in and looked around at all of the games with a sad smile on my face.

As I walked around, I saw fathers and daughters playing darts and ring toss. Lucky girls. Shaking my head, I headed towards the food shack and got some popcorn before walking around again. I would have played some games, but what was the point if there was no one there to share the fun with.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I looked at it to see it was my dad. _Made reservations for Thursday at the Ritz._ I scoffed and shut off my phone before putting it into my bag. I've been pushed back to Thursday now. What? Was the great Iron Man too busy tomorrow to spend quality time with his daughter?!

I threw away my empty box of popcorn before making my way to the Ferris Wheel; it was always my favorite ride as a kid. I loved looking at the city from such a high view. It was a long line, mainly filled with loving couples and parents who bothered to spend time with their kids, but it wasn't like I had anything else to do today.

It took 30 minutes before I got to the front of the line, and by sheer luck, I got a compartment alone. Thank god, the last thing I needed was to deal with some stranger. I looked out toward Manhattan as I reach the top of the Ferris Wheel. It stops, with me at the top, for a while, but I didn't care. God, I loved this view, and it almost made me forget about my dad ditching me.

After a good five minutes, the Ferris Wheel made it's back down, and I got off. I began to walk around the amusement park again and noticed how everyone seemed to be staring at me oddly. I looked back at them and saw all the women had dresses on that went down to their knees. Weird. Don't they own a pair of shorts or jeans? I made eye contact with one of the ladies, and she looked at me in disgust. Ok, who put you in a bad mood?

I didn't see the two men in front of me, until I ran into them, which seemed to knock me out of my thoughts. My purse slipped out of my hands as I fell to my knees. The person I bumped into stood up and brushed some dirt off him. His friend, however, lightly grabbed my arm and helped me up while picking up my purse as well.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am," He apologized, as he handed me my purse and I gently took it before looking up at him. To say he wasn't attractive would be lying. His bright blue eyes could make any woman swoon, and his charming smile was hypnotizing. Mr. Blue-Eyes looked me up and down, confused by my clothing, yet amused by it.

He chuckled and gestured to the guy next to him as he defended his friend, "My friend wasn't looking where he was walking." Turning my head, I looked at the person I ran into. He was very short and scrawny, but his face seemed so familiar. His name was sitting on the tip of my tongue, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't say his name. "What's your name, doll face?" Blue-eyes asked me, and I looked back at him.

"Umm," I was speechless, and an embarrassed blush was painted on my cheeks. I looked down, trying to avoid eye contact, and noticed he had a newspaper in his hand. "Can I see that?" I asked him as I gestured towards the paper. The man looked down at the paper and handed it to me with a smile. I looked at the front of it and noticed the date.

_Wednesday, June 14th, 1939._ What. The. Fuck.

"What is it, doll?" Blue-eyes asked me. I looked at him, confused; the word doll seems to confuse me, even though I knew it was a common nickname for this period.

"Nothing. It's nothing." I said quickly. "And it's fine. Honestly, I wasn't looking where I was going either." I told Steve who was looking awkwardly at the floor. I then handed the newspaper back to his friend and took my purse out of his hand. "I just remembered I have to be somewhere right now."

Running out of the amusement park, I ignored all the looks I was receiving and hailed a taxi. "Where to miss?" The driver asked and looked me up in down, which only caused me to groan.

"The closest clothing store, please," I told him and got in.

"Where you from sweetheart? Because people don't dress like that around here." The driver asked me.

"Does that matter?" I asked him. He gave me a scowl and didn't talk for the rest of the drive. I was thankful because it gave me time to think.

How did I end up here? The last thing I did was ride the Ferris Wheel, but there was no indication that I traveled back in time when I was riding it. But that was the only thing that made sense. My parents are going to be so worried. Or at least mom will, I doubt dad will even notice I'm gone until Thursday when I miss our dinner reservation.

"Here you go." The driver said, and I got out of the car.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked him.

"Three even," he answered, and I paid him.

"Thank you," I said as I walked to the clothing store. If I'm going to be stuck in 1939, I am not going to have people staring at me every time I walk down the street.

The bell attached to the door chimed as I walked in, and the cashier looked up at me. She looked over at me. "Hello," she greeted as I walked up to her.

"Hi -" I said.

"Ava." She told me.

"Hi, Ava," Ava gave me a warm smile. "I was wondering if you could help me find something to wear?" I asked her.

Ava looked at my outfit and nodded. "Yes, I believe I can." She said and walked around the counter to me. "Now, do you have a budget?" I looked into my wallet and saw I had about 103 dollars in my purse because I knew I needed money for the amusement park and taxi.

"Under 80?" I asked, and she seemed surprised that I had that much money.

"Wait here," She told me.

As I waited for Ava to return, I looked around the shop. It was a large department store; it was small and cozy. The room had a warm atmosphere, which made me feel comfortable, considering my situation. There were men's and women's clothing everywhere. Anything from suits to skirts, but I could tell she didn't get a lot of customers yet enough to stay open. I spotted a sign on the window that read '**Help Wanted**' in big, bold letters.

"Are you the only one who works here?" I asked her while she was in the back of the store. Ava walked back over to me with four dresses in her hands.

"No, my friend Bella works here too, but she's currently on her honeymoon with her newly wedded husband," Ava then looked at me. "They won't be back for another week. Why? Do you happen to be looking for a job?" She asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "And a place to stay."

"Well, I own the apartment above the store. You could stay with me until you get a place of your own." She offered as she leads me to the changing room.

"I couldn't possibly-"

"Don't be silly. I can tell by your clothes that you're not from around here, and you're going to need someone to show you around." Ava then ushered me into the dressing room. "As for the job, I have an opening as a cashier. Do you think that would work?"

"Yeah, I think that could work," I said as I got out of the dark green dress and put it in the pile of dresses I didn't like.

"Well, I'll go get the paperwork, while you pick a dress," Ava explained and walked away.

I looked at the four dresses below me and sighed. Dresses were not my thing, but then again it was uncommon for women to wear pants, much less jeans, in 1939. I picked up the light pink dress and held it in my hand, with a disgusted look on my face. Nope. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing this color.

Underneath was a pretty blue dress that was more my style. I put it on and looked in the mirror a few times. I could work with this. I undid the buttons in the front, and yet the dress drop to the ground before grabbing the red dress. As I looked in the mirror, I smiled. I love the red dress, but I also loved the blue; I wish I didn't have to choose. Sighing, I got back into my regular modern clothing, then looked at the price tag of each dress. Holy shit, ten dollars for each dress! I guess I didn't have to choose after all.

I walked out of the dressing room; I made my way to the front counter. Ava had the paperwork waiting for me, "What?" She asked.

"Um," I let out a small laugh then smiled at her. "Nothing. Do you have any shoes?" I asked her.

"Yup, in front of the shop," Ava answered. "Did you want me to ring these up while you looked at them?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind," I answered and then made my way to the front of the store. I looked at the shoes until I found an essential pair of black high heels. I grabbed my sizes then made my way back to Ava.

"Oh, those will go with both dress quite nicely." She said to me with a smile. "Anyways, that will be 27 dollars and 89 cents." I handed her 28 dollars as she placed all the clothes in a bag for me along with the receipt. I then grabbed the job application and filled out as much as I can.

Name? Eleanor - I paused for a moment, remembering that I couldn't write down Stark. There was a high chance my grandpa was here. So, how about Eleanor Star. Birthdate? Well, 1939 minus 22 equals 1917. So I guess my birthday is now June 14, 1917. I had no physical disabilities or any illnesses. What position are you applying for? Cashier. Where did you graduate from? I almost wrote down Harvard, but then I remembered how there was no proof I went there since it was 1939 and not 2012. I didn't lie on two questions, that's good, right? After a minute or two, I handed her back the application, and she looked it over.

"So this is your first job?" Ava asked me, and I nodded. "Well, everything looks like it's in order. Also, happy birthday."

"Thank you," I said.

"Come on. I'll show you where you'll be staying." Ava said. I grabbed my shopping bag and followed her upstairs.

She unlocked the front door to her apartment and held open the door for me. "Thank you," I said and looked around the living room.

It was smaller than my apartment in 2016, but that was to be expected. Mine cost around 5,000 dollars and was given to me by my dad for Christmas. Despite the fact the I didn't ask him to buy me one. But Ava's was cozy and cute. I followed her towards the back of the apartment.

She showed me a small bedroom that had a twin bed placed in the corner of the room. "This will be your room, mines the one across the hall," Ava informed me as I looked around the room. The walls were a soft shade of pink, and there was a wardrobe by the door. "The shop closes in an hour, so you can start tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Ava," I said to her as she began to walk out of the room.

"Your welcome, Eleanor," Ava said and then closed the door behind her.

I placed the shopping bag on my bed and started to put my clothes away in the wardrobe. Once that was done, I turned to the little window that looked out on the street outside. I could see Manhattan from here, and it seemed the same. Except I knew my dad wasn't there. My grandpa maybe, but he wasn't even my grandpa yet.

I turned away from the window and grabbed my purse. I pulled out my wallet and looked at the little photo of my mom, dad, and me on my 18th birthday. I kept it because this was the one year where we did have a gigantic party. It was just the three of us. We had pizza, watched movies, and ate some ice cream. I touched my golden star necklace softly as I felt tears running down my face as I sat down on the bed.

As I cried myself to sleep, I only had two thoughts running through my head: I want to go home. Please just let me go home.


	7. Chapter 6

Eleanor's P.O.V

_Thursday, June 15, 1939_

I woke up in my clothes from yesterday, but not in the comfort of my own bedroom. I shot up and looked around, confused before the events of yesterday started to pour back into my head. Dad ditching me for work. Riding the Ferris Wheel. Arriving in 1939. Meeting Ava. I swung my legs to the side on the bed and leaned my forehead against my hands.

I stood up and grabbed the blue dress that I bought yesterday, before changing into it. I hung up my clothing from 2016 in the wardrobe and put on a new pair of black high heels before making my way to the kitchen. There, I saw Ava making a fresh pot of coffee and the clock that hung above her read 9 am. "Hey, you're up. I was afraid I'd have to come in there and force you out of bed." Ava joked as we laughed. "Want some coffee?"

"Please," I responded as I sat down at the dining room table.

Ava soon came over with a mug of fresh coffee, a side of cream, and sugar. "Ready for your first day at work?" Ava asked and I nodded happily as I stirred the added sweeteners into the caffeinated liquid.

"Yup! I sure am," I told her as I finished making my coffee. "So, what do you have for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon, but if you don't want that I also have cereal," Ava answered.

"Actually, eggs and bacon would be lovely thank you," I told her and then took a sip of coffee as she walked back to the kitchen in order to start breakfast. I looked around her flat again and noticed some photos on her mantelpiece. I walked over with my coffee in hand and looked at the photos displayed in frames.

There was one of her as a little girl, with what looked like her parents, and another when she was in her teens and a few friends. The last one was of her and a guy kissing on the beach. "Who's the lucky guy?" I asked her and Ava turned to me. She saw which photo I was looking at and I watched as her cheeks colored to a light shade of pink.

"His name's Bret," she responded bashfully. I smiled as I walked over to the kitchen counter and leaned against it as she continued to make breakfast. "We've been together for around 3 years," Ava told me.

"Wow!" I said, "The only relationship I had lasted for a year."

"Have you dated anyone since?" Ava asked and I shook my head.

"Never had the time nor found a decent guy to date," I explained.

"Have faith! You'll meet one eventually." Ava said and I laughed.

"As if finding a guy was that easy!" I told her and we both ended up laughing. "So, you said Bella wouldn't be back in town for another week?"

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure she's going to Georgia with her husband," Ava said sadly.

"What makes you say that?" I asked her.

"For a while now, she's been talking about moving and her dream is to live in a small town," Ava explained. "But we've grown up together ever since we were 7, so it's just going to be weird to not have her around. I mean, she and I started this store together once we got out of high school."

"If you two are as close as you say you are, you'll find a way to keep in contact, don't worry," I told her.

"I hope you're right," Ava said and placed some eggs and bacon on a plate for me. I took it with a smile as we moved back over to the dining room table. "So, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?"

"California, but my dad-" I stopped talking for a second as I remembered my dad. What do I say? He's still in California. No, that will allow her to start bombarding me with questions about where he lives and shit. "My dad - umm," Come on, Eleanor, think. "He used to work here." Great job.

"Used to? What happened? Did his job move him somewhere?" Ava asked.

"Uh, no," I told her. "He - um - died in a car accident, a few years back, along with my mom." There, now she'll hopefully stop asking me questions about them. Ava looked at me sadly and placed her hand on top of mine affectionately.

"I'm so sorry, Eleanor," Ava said and I gave her a small stiff nod, then moved my hand away from hers. It felt strange to be called Eleanor. I was only ever called that when I was in trouble with one of my parents and I definitely didn't want her to call me Ellie. That would just remind me of the life I could never go back to.

"Nora," I said to her after we ate in awkward silence. "You can call me Nora. I'm not really used to people calling me Eleanor."

"Well, Nora," Ava said softly. "It's almost 10 am, and I have to open up the store. Come down when you've finished eating." I nodded again, and she stood up. I watched as she put her dishes in the sink and made her way down the store.

I pushed my eggs around my plate for a while before sighing as I stood up and walked over to the window behind me. I need to go and see what has changed in New York. Maybe I could do that this weekend. Hopefully, Ava would show me around. She is sweet, and I'm thankful that she is allowing me to stay with her for the time being. Although I couldn't stay here forever. I needed to find a way home if that was even possible. Maybe if I rode the Ferris Wheel again, it would take me back. It was worth a shot and if it didn't work, I guess I would have to push forward and live out life in the 1900s. Even if that meant I'd never see my parents again. Maybe I could befriend my grandpa.

I laughed at that last thought before putting the dishes away in the sink. I looked up at the clock. It was 15 minutes before 10, and I could do the dishes before I had to head downstairs. It was the least I could do for Ava since she cooked breakfast for me.

〜〜〜

After cleaning up and making my way downstairs, I saw Ava flipping the open sign over. I stood by the register as she turned around and walked closer to me. She proceeded to show me how to use the cash register and how to write up the receipt. Then, we just waited until a customer came in.

"So, random question," I laughed a bit. "Do you think you could show me around Brooklyn sometime?"

"Of course," She cheered. "I don't open on Sundays with church service and all. I could show you around after that." Great, now I have to go to church. The last time I was in a church was when I was 10 years old.

I gave her a fake smile and responded with, "That would be lovely."

"Great." She said to me, as three ladies walked into her shop. Ava and I turned towards them before Ava greeted them, "Good morning, ladies. How are you doing today?" Ava gave me a look that said she would be right back and walked over to help them.

I stayed behind the counter and gazed out the shop windows as I watched people walk up and down the streets. It felt weird to see all these people in different clothing, knowing that they had a different lifestyle than I was used to. Knowing that they didn't know the things I knew. Superheroes would exist in a year or two thanks to Captain America. The internet would make access to knowledge and communication so much easier. The actual _God of fucking Mischief_ would try to take over Manhattan with an alien army.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone walking up to the counter. I gave them a smile and asked, "Would that be all ma'am?" and rang up the first three customers that had come in.

Next thing I knew, customer after customer came pouring through the shop. I quickly got the hang of being a cashier, but I've always been a fast learner. Ava and I didn't have time to chat with each other again until 4 pm. Once rush hour ended, Ava went upstairs and got us some water. As she came back down from the apartment, I brought over two stools that I found in the back and we sat down.

"Is it normally this busy?" I asked her.

"No, not really, but it's almost Friday and women tend to need new dresses for their dates over the weekend," Ava explained.

"Fair enough," I muttered. "Have you lived in Brooklyn all your life?"

"No, I used to live in Pennsylvania, but my dads' job got moved here when I turned 6 and I've been here ever since." She explained. "Look, I know I've only known you for less than a day, but would you mind watching the shop for a few hours on Saturday? It's just that, I have to go pick up my boyfriend from the train station-"

"I'd be happy to watch the shop for you." I cut her off and she gave me a hug after setting her glass down.

"Thank you," she said and pulled away from me.

"No problem."

〜〜〜

After the crowd started to slow down, a man walked up to the counter. He was about a foot taller than me and a brunet. "And what's a girl like you doing here?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes as I rang up his suit.

"Working," I answered, sharply.

"A dame like you shouldn't be working this late," He continued to flirt.

"Beats sitting around at home all alone," I replied, calmly.

"Alone?" He asked surprised. "I thought a peach-like you would've had a boyfriend."

I handed him his receipt and passed him back his suit, which was neatly put away in a shopping bag. "Last I checked, that's none of your business. Have a nice day." I replied. He gave me an unhappy look before storming out of the shop. Ugh, men. Ava walked back over to me, confused.

"What's wrong with him?" Ava asked.

"Got rejected by the cashier." I joked and she chuckled.

"Hey, I was going to order in. Want anything?" She asked and I shrugged.

"Pizza?" I asked her and she smiled, then walked upstairs to order. Maybe life here wouldn't be as bad as I thought.


	8. Chapter 7

Eleanor's P.O.V

_Saturday, June 16th, 1939_

Business was slow today, according to Ava. I hadn't been working here long enough to know what was considered a slow day versus a fast day. I flipped through a magazine that Ava had given me. The style of this decade wasn't that awful. It was cute, despite the fact that I had to wear a dress. Although, I wished I could wear jeans and a graphic tee without someone giving me a dirty look.

I closed the magazine and looked up at the shop window. The people outside moved in blurs while I stood still behind this counter. There was an itching feeling to leave this store and look around the city I knew so well, yet not at all. Every time I looked out my bedroom window this morning, I could see the empire state building and imagined seeing the Avengers tower just behind it. I wish I could call my dad, tell him I was ok because he was probably freaking out about me, but I couldn't and I hated that.

"Hey," I jumped at Ava's voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," She said when I looked at her.

"It's fine," I brushed off. Ava seemed dressed up as if she was about to leave, but wore an uneasy look on her face.

"So I know you've only worked here for a day, but I need to run some errands. Do you think you'll be ok?" She asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I told her. "It's a slow day after all."

"Right - I'll be back in a moment." Ava replied, as all the anxiety in her face washed away. I watched as she walked out of the shop and blended in with the crowd outside.

Looking back down at my magazine, I thought back to a couple of days ago when I arrived here. It didn't make any sense. How could a fucking ferris wheel bring me to 1939? Why here out of all places? I mean if I thought about every single thing that happened that day, the only thing that wasn't abnormal is my dad ditching me on my birthday. Yes, I miss him, but I'm still a bit pissed off. If he had come with me, maybe I wouldn't have ended up here. Though I doubt my dad coming with me to Coney Island would've stopped this.

I sighed as I heard the shop door open and ring the doorbell. I didn't look up at the customer, just kept my head down. I didn't want to deal with people today. Yesterday wasn't that bad because I had the distraction of a job to keep me occupied. Now I had time to think and I don't think I've ever felt more lonely.

A few moments later, a person laid a suit on top of the counter. I looked at the suit, then at the man. He wore a smirk on his face and was fairly handsome. The male seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him. I broke my gaze and stuck the magazine underneath the counter.

"Will that be all for you today sir?" I asked him.

"Yes it will," He replied. "I needed to get a new one for tonight. I've got a date with a beautiful dame."

"Oh really?" I laughed, acting as if I was interested. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"You," I stopped writing and looked up at him.

"You don't even know me and I don't know you," I snapped at him.

"Don't know me," He placed a hand over his heart, acting hurt. "I feel hurt, doll. Am I really that easy to forget?" He teased me, but I looked at him confused. "Here let me jog your memory. Two days ago at the carnival, you ran into my buddy Steve," The man gestured behind him with his thumb and my gaze wandered over to a small, skinny boy standing by the front door. He looked up and everything clicked now that I knew his name. That's Steve Rogers. Fucking Captain America is on the other side of the room. Although he seemed awkward and uncomfortable, and not the super soldier I learned about in history class. Sadly the captain over there didn't explain why the guy in front of me looked familiar.

"Still don't remember you asking me out," I stated, trying to hide my shock, and he smirked.

"Why do you think I walked in here?" He asked. "What's your name, baby doll?"

"Sorry, I don't tell my name to strangers," I answered.

"I'm James, but most people call me Bucky." I'm a fucking idoit. I should have assumed that this was James Buchanan Barnes, Steve's best friend. Although the Smithsonian exhibit never told me he was a total flirt. "Now that I'm no longer a stranger, could you please tell me your name," James smiled.

"Eleanor," I answered and finished writing up his receipt, so I didn't have to stare at him. "Nora for short."

"That's a beautiful name, for a beautiful girl," James replied. Really? That's the best you could come up with. I rolled my eyes and heard Steve laugh softly behind his friend, which caused me to smirk. "So what do you say? Dinner? I'll pick you up tonight after your shift ends." Wow, he's really laying it on thick, isn't he? I placed the receipt in the bag and handed it to him.

"Nope, I'm busy tonight," I lied. "Already have plans with a friend."

"Maybe she can join us, keep Steve company while you and I get to know each other better," James smoothly repiled. Ok, now I want to throw myself out the window for how cringy that statement was.

"Sadly, she already has a boyfriend," I pushed the bag, which contained his suit, towards James. "Have a nice day." I smiled and pulled out my magazine again. James stood there for a while, dumbfounded, and I looked back up at him again. "What?" I asked.

"Normally girls don't turn me down," James informed me.

"You know what they say, there's a first time for everything," I replied, but there was a small knot in my stomach that hated what I just said. He gave me a smug smile before turning around and leaving.

"I'll see you later, doll," James stated as the door closed behind him and Steve. Ava came through the door as the boys left and I watched James with an intense stare while he walked down the street.

"Who was that?" Ava asked.

"Another man who doesn't understand the word 'no," I replied calmly.

"_He_ asked you out?" I nodded. "And you turned him down?" I nodded again. "Why the hell would you turn down a man who looks like _that_?!" Ava exclaimed while pointing at the door for emphasis. I rolled my eyes, after the shock of her outburst past, for the second time today.

"So what? Just because he's charming, good looking, and seems like a very nice guy-"

"Seems to me that you like him," Ava teased and a baffled expression found its way onto my face.

"I don't like him!" I shouted.

"You sure about that?" She asked me. "I mean you said it yourself. He's charming, good looking, nice-"

"Ok, ok! I get your point, but I _don't _like him. He's just another guy looking to get into some girl's pants," I explained. "Besides I have more important things to do than get a boyfriend."

"Like what? Sit here writing up receipts all day?" She asked me. "I mean love how good you are at your job, but I don't want it to stop you from having a social life."

"Why can't I just choose not to date this guy?" I asked her.

"Because guys like him don't stay single for long!" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"You really think that's going to convince me?" I replied and she let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you can't find a good boyfriend," Ava stated, then made her way upstairs to put her shopping bags away.

"Wasn't planning to," I mumbled to myself as the next customer came in.

* * *

_Tuesday, June 20th, 1939_

I was walking down to a grocery store, two blocks from the shop, with a small piece of paper that had both the address and a list of things Ava wanted me to get. She couldn't leave the shop because she was waiting for a package to come in and had to sign for it. The grocery list wasn't long, it had eight things on it and she gave me the money to pay for the items. Ava said we'd go to the grocery store again if I needed anything else. Looking both ways, I crossed the street to the store and made my way inside.

I grabbed a cart and looked back down at the list to see what I needed. Milk, eggs, toilet paper, paper towels, flowers, coffee, and half-and-half. I walked around the store as I went down the list. I stopped at the flowers and smiled at all the roses. I love roses. Maybe I should get a few, and then a normal bouquet for Ava.

"So which ones are your favorite, doll?" A voice asked me and it made me jump. I turned to see James, who was standing with his hands behind his back. He wore a sly smirk on his face that made me want to slap him.

"Why do you care?" I questioned.

"Shouldn't a guy know his girl's favorite flower?"

"Ok, one: I am not your girl and two: I thought I made it clear the last time we met. The answer is no." I scolded him. The smirk that graced his face never dropped and James moved closer to me. I kept my eyes trained on his face, ready to punch him if he came anywhere close to kissing me, but he started to back up and I saw he now had a red rose in his right hand.

"So, you like roses?" James asked.

"How would you know?" I shot back.

"You looked like you were about to grab them before I spoke up," I watched as he broke off the stem on the rose. "How about you let me buy you a bouquet and lunch?" He asked me and placed the rose behind my ear while moving some hair away from my face.

There were only a few inches between us and I stared at him for a long time. "You can flirt with me all you like, but my answer hasn't changed," I pulled the rose from my hair, "If that's what you were hoping," I explained as I shoved the flower in his chest and pushed him away from me. "Now if you'll excuse me I have some flowers to pick out."

I turned my back to him and he walked in front of me. "Let me help you then," James replied.

"I can do it on my own, thanks," I answered while keeping my eyes on the flowers in front of me.

"You know this is the second time you've turned me down," James mentioned.

"I'm aware and I'll keep turning you down until you give up."

"Good thing I'm never giving up," James stated. I scoffed before grabbing a bouquet of flowers and walking away from him to go check out.

* * *

_Sunday, June 25th, 1939_

The church service wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I still don't like it. I just don't understand religion. Why would you put your faith in something that you don't even know is real? Facts are much more reliable in my opinion. Ava, Bret (her boyfriend) and I were now walking around Brooklyn. I liked Bret, he seemed sweet and completely in love with Ava, but I had yet to meet Bella. Sadly, one day she came into town, I was out of the shop and exploring New York City again.

I spotted a newspaper stand nearby and walked over. There were three other people there. Two guys and the owner of the stand. I smiled at the owner and didn't even glance at the others as I grabbed a newspaper. What caught my attention was my father's face, but it turned out to be my grandfather on the front of the paper, not my dad. It was terrifying how alike they looked. The headline read: "_**Stark Announces His Plans for New Expo!"**_ So dad took grandpa's idea! I quietly chuckled to myself as someone came up behind me to look at the stand.

When I noticed them, I moved to the left and apologized, "Sorry," I gestured to the paper. "Got too invested in the-'' I looked up at the guy who was behind me and saw that it was James. "Are you stalking me now?" I asked, my tone immediately changing from a soft tone to an annoyed one.

"In my defense, I was here before you," James replied.

"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me," He responded and I glared at him while crossing my arms. James laughed and held up his hands in defense. "Look, I saw you at church with your friends, I'll admit, but I didn't follow you to this newsstand. I came because Steve wanted to get a paper. I didn't know you'd come here, but I'm happy you did."

"You saw me and now you get to watch me leave," I told him and put the newspaper away before walking back over to Ava. James reached out and grabbed my arm, turning me back around to him.

"Come on, doll, I've run into you 4 times now. Don't you think that means something?" He asked.

"So now you're using fate to try and swoon me?" I laughed.

"What's wrong with fate?" He wondered.

"Apart from the fact that it's not real for starters," I replied.

"I'd say it's pretty real. I mean we did run into each other-"

"Four times you've said," I replied. "I can assure you there won't be a fifth."

"Positive?" James teased and I nodded.

"Yes," I replied.

"Let's make a deal then?" he offered. "If I run into you again, today - after both of us leave - you have to let me take you out tomorrow night."

"How do I know you won't just follow me?" I asked him and James looked behind him, to where pre-super soldier Steve was standing.

"I'll be with Steve all day," James answered. "If you don't see me with him when we run into each other, then you don't have to agree to the date." I looked between him and a very amused Captain America, who had appeared by his side, before sighing. The terms were simple and what are the chances of running into him again? One in a thousand. I guess there's no harm in this agreement?

I groaned when I saw his charming smile. He knew I had agreed to the deal but was waiting for me to say it out loud. "FINE. Fine!" I exclaimed. "If - _if_ I run into you again tonight, I'll let you take me on a date tomorrow after my shift."

"See you later tonight, doll," James beamed as he walked away with Steve while laughing to himself. I felt a small smile on my face as I shook my head.

What did I agree to?

〜〜〜

After we dropped off the new clothes Ava and I bought at the apartment, we decided to go to Coney Island with Bret. I wanted to ride the Ferris wheel again, see if it would take me home. I knew I was asking the universe for a lot right now, but I wanted to go home. I _needed_ to go home. As we walked around the amusement park, I came to the conclusion that Ava was a good friend to have and that if I did get back home, I would miss her.

"You want to ride the Ferris Wheel?" She asked me, frightened.

"Yeah, I love to view the city once you reach the top," I explained and Ava looked frightened by the idea.

"Have fun with that. I'm going to get us some popcorn," She said quickly and turned in the direction of the popcorn stand. Bret chuckled as I looked at him confused.

"She's afraid of heights," He explained.

I nodded and stepped into the line. It took a while for me to reach the front. Once I did the worker looked at me. "Two per ride, ma'am," He informed me. Wow! I didn't realize how much time changes things. I sighed and was about to leave when a voice spoke up.

"Sorry, I'm late, doll," My eyes went wide as I turned and saw James running up to me. Steve was standing behind him as James placed his hand on the small of my back. How the fuck did this end up happening? "Sorry sir, my girlfriend was just holding our spot in line," He explained.

The worker nodded and let us on the Ferris wheel. The ride up to the top was slow and I turned to James once we reached the top. "How to actually fuck did you know I would be here?!" I asked him, furiously.

"Such a dirty mouth for a beautiful babe," He replied.

"Answer me, James," I demanded.

"Bucky, please, and I didn't know you were here. Honest," Bucky swore. "Steve jumped this idea on me last minute and every time I come here, I go on the Ferris wheel. I love the view of the city from up here." Bucky explained as the ride stopped. Really Universe?! You bring me to 1939, then force me to sit on the top of a Ferris wheel with my stalker.

"We're going to be here for a little while," I mumbled as I sat back.

"Come on, doll," Bucky pleaded. "I promise my company isn't that bad."

"How would you know? You have a basis opinion in that case," I snapped.

"Guess that means you'll have to spend some more time with me to come to a conclusion," Bucky answered. "So, what time does your shift end tomorrow?" I turned my head towards him.

"My shift ends at 8 tomorrow," I answered stubbornly.

My arms folded across my chest as a cold breeze washed over me. I had a thin sweater on, but it was colder up here. Bucky seemed to notice and wrapped his arm across my shoulders, then brought me into his side. I found myself melting into his body heat, but my annoyance was still present.

"What's got you all riled up?" He asked me as my head rested on his shoulder.

What doesn't have me riled up is a better question. Staring at the city lights made me more homesick than ever. This was the exact view I shared with my dad when I was 15. Then it hit me: I'll never get to hug him, work in the lab with him, tell him I love him ever again. I'm forever stuck here without him.

"Hey, earth to Nora?" Bucky asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him and sat up, although I regret doing that. Now I am cold again. "What's got you so sad, doll?"

"I guess -" I want this damn Ferris wheel to take me home. "That I'm homesick."

"Where are you from?"

"California," I told him. "Malibu, if we're being specific."

"You must have a lot of money if you lived in Malibu," Bucky stated and I laughed. You have no idea.

"I used to," I told him. "But that's in the past now."

The Ferris wheel began to move again and before I knew it, we were at the bottom. Bucky extended his hand to me when we were getting out and I reluctantly accepted it. I walked out, with my hand in his and saw Ava and Bret waiting there with a half-eaten popcorn bag. She had a huge smile on her when she saw Bucky and me together. Bucky turned to look for someone and I looked up at him confused.

"Who are you looking for?" I asked him.

"Steve," He answered and smiled when he spotted his non-super soldier friend. "HEY STEVE!" Bucky yelled and it startled me, to which Bucky laughed. "Sorry doll," He apologized and looked back to see Steve turned at the sound of his name.

Bucky waved him over and I turned towards the very small soon to be Captain America. I honestly couldn't believe that he was standing in front of me. A part of me wanted to tell him about the change he'll go through, but I had seen enough movies and TV shows to know that you should never do that. Thinking about that made me look at Bucky with a slightly sad expression, although I couldn't remember why it made me sad.

"Steve, I would like you to meet Eleanor." I quickly smiled and hid the unexplained sadness. "Eleanor," Bucky smiled down at me. "This is Steve," Bucky said and Steve held out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Steve said and I shook his hand in return. "So," Steve awkwardly said, while looking between the two of us. "Bucky finally wore you down, and got you to agree to date his sorry butt?" Bucky lightly hit his shoulder, which caused Steve to stumble back a bit.

"We did make a deal, and I am a woman of my word," I replied, but was laughing at the same time.

"What deal?" I heard Bret ask, as he and Ava walked up to the three of us.

"Over the course of the past couple weeks, Eleanor and I have run into each other more than once. So earlier at the newsstand, I told her that if I ran into her again tonight, she had to go on a date with me," Bucky explained to him.

"He didn't follow you, by the way," Steve interpreted. "I sprung the idea of coming here on him at the last minute."

"So you're fated to be together?" Ava smiled and I shook my head.

"More like it's a coincidence that we keep running into each other," I corrected her.

"That's the same thing as fate," Bret stated again and I sighed. I wasn't going to win this battle.

"If you want to call it that, then yes. It's fate," I agreed. I looked at my watch and saw that it was around 10:30 pm. "We should probably be heading back," I mentioned. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, I got to get Steve home anyway." Bucky agreed and took my hand in his, then kissed the top of it while looking me in the eye. "I'll see you tomorrow night, doll." I felt a little blush and gave him a small, shy smile. He grinned at my reaction and walked away with Steve. I bit my lip and turned to Ava and Bret. Ava had a cheshire grin on her face and I rolled my eyes before we made our way out of the amusement park.


	9. Chapter 8

Eleanor's P.O.V

_Monday, June 26th, 1939_

Could this day have gone any faster? I was standing in front of my closet, staring at all my dresses. A robe was wrapped around my body and my hair was twisted up in a bun. I had two hours to get ready for my date with Bucky. The store had been closed for 30 minutes now and I wished I was still down there helping people buy their clothes. Why did I agree to that bet? I should have realized that I would meet him again. Hell, Bucky probably got Steve to lie about it being his idea to come to the carnival and followed me. Damn, he was determined...and handsome. No, Ellie! You can't seriously like him. You don't even know him.

With that in mind, I grabbed my red and blue dresses and put them on my bed, before moving to my vanity and getting ready. As I started to put on my makeup, I heard a light knock on my bedroom door. I looked through the mirror and watched as Ava walked in.

"Hey," She said. "Know what you're going to wear yet?"

"One of those two," I answered as I motioned over to the dresses on my bed. Ava wandered over to my bed and looked down at the two dresses as I went back to doing my makeup. I took down my hair and fixed it a bit before walking over to my bed.

Ava looked between me and the dresses, before picking up the blue one and handing it to me. "It's my favorite out of the two," she said and I smiled. Ava then left the room to let me get dressed.

I slipped off my robe and stepped into my dress. After I buttoned it up, I wrapped my thin black belt around it, then slipped on my black heels. Looking in the mirror one last time, all my nerves finally hit me. Bucky isn't going to like me. I mean why would he like me...I'm just me. What if I slip up and tell him the wrong lie about my life?

The bell at the front of the shop door rang and I turned towards the sound. It's too late to back out now, and I made a deal. I have to uphold my end. Sighing to myself, I walked to the living room, where my bag was sitting on the kitchen counter. My head was down, so when I looked up and saw Bucky standing there, I stopped in my tracks.

Bucky was wearing a navy blue suit that made his eyes become even brighter than they normally were. He was also wearing a black tie and his hair wasn't slicked back, it was a bit messy, yet neat at the same time. "Wow, doll," Bucky gasped in awe at the sight of me, before he began to step toward me. "You look gorgeous." I looked down at the ground and blushed, before looking back up at him. He smiled at the sight of my red cheeks and pulled out a single red rose from behind him.

"Thank you," I said and went to take the flower from him, but he stopped me. I watched as Bucky broke the stem, then stuck the flower in my hair, like he had in the grocery store. Dear Lord, this man is charming.

"Shall we go?" Bucky asked as he held out his hand. I gave him a small, nervous smile before grabbing my purse and closing the apartment door with his hand in mine.

〜〜〜

I had my arm linked with Bucky's as we walked down the sidewalk. He wouldn't tell me what he had planned for tonight, only that it was a surprise while wearing this constant smile on his face. I don't know why he's smiling though. It's not like I didn't want him to be depressed on a date he insisted on having, but I haven't done anything to earn a smile. Hell, we weren't even talking to one another. It was like my presence made him happy, which again, made no sense.

"What are you thinkin', doll?" Bucky asked and his question snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing," I replied and looked up at the neon sign above our heads that read: Marchi's.

"One the best Italian restaurants around," Bucky commented. His hand rested on my lower back as he led me inside.

We walked up to the host and Bucky gave them his name. The host showed us to the table, placed the menus down, and told us that our waiter would come by shortly. I looked at him across the table as he read over the menu. I can't wrap my head around it. Why me? Why was he so in awe of me? I'm not special; aside from the whole time travel thing, he doesn't know that.

"Like what you see?" Bucky asked and I snapped out of my thoughts again. He had placed his menu on the table while folding his hands together. He had this boyish like smile across his face and I bowed my head as I blushed. "What's running through that pretty head of yours?"

"Nothing," I answered quietly as I scanned over the menu, but didn't really pay attention to what I was reading.

"Humor me then," He replied and I looked up at him.

"Why are you so interested?" I asked him.

"Because it's the second time I've got 'nothing' as an answer," Bucky explained. "So, humor me and tell me what random thought has captured your attention."

"Not a thought," I corrected. "More like a question." Bucky looked at me intrigued. I looked away, not wanting to keep eye contact with him, and shifted in my seat a bit. "Why me?"

"Why you?" He replied in a confused tone.

"Why ask me out? How are you intrigued by," I gestured to myself, "This?" I asked.

Bucky's eyes softened and reached out for my right hand, then tilted my chin so I made eye contact with him. "You're beautiful and different from any other girl I've met," He answered and I could hear the honesty in every word he said.

"Why because I turned down your flirting?" I laughed.

Bucky chuckled, "No, but that definitely didn't help my ego," He joked. "When you ran into Steve, you immediately caught my eye for a few reasons. You were wearing pants and a leather jacket with no shame, you seemed at home yet out of place, and lastly, you were drop-dead gorgeous," He explained. "Then the more I ran into you, I found out that a few romantic gestures and charming words weren't going to make you swoon. You were clever, strong, and determined - and when you find someone like that, how could you not ask them out?"

For the first time, I was truly speechless. So he was genuinely attracted to who I was? I dropped my head and looked at my hand in his. He was sweet and more attractive than any man Tinder or my friends tried to set me up with. The waiter walked up to us and I sat back in my seat, which made Bucky let go of my hand. I could still feel his hand around mine as we ordered our drinks and appetizers.

I looked around as the waiter left. The restaurant was beautiful and outside I saw a few couples dancing to the band that was playing. Looking back at Bucky I noticed him staring at me, but not in a creepy stalker way, it was more gentle and kind. He looked as if he was trying to memorize everything about me. The way my hair framed my face, or the way I kept blushing every time I looked at him.

"So," He broke the silence. "Tell me about yourself, doll."

"What would you like to know?"

"Your dreams and goals in life," Bucky replied dramatically and we laughed. "You said you lived in Malibu?"

"I grew up there," I answered. "My dad liked to make inventions, and sell them to wealthy investors."

"Like Howard Stark?" Bucky asked. I bit my tongue so I didn't laugh.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "Like Howard Stark. My dad was clever, and taught me everything I know about machines."

"I guess that makes you pretty smart," He replied and looked down a bit. Bucky seemed embarrassed and I gave him a confused look. He looked back up at me and covered up whatever emotions he was feeling. I decided not to poke the bear on that subject.

Our waiter came back with our drinks and appetizers. When the waiter left again, I smiled at the soon to be sergeant across from me. "So now that you know a little of my story, what's yours?" I asked him.

"It's not that interesting to tell you the truth," Bucky replied.

"Can I maybe decide that for myself?" I wondered and he sighed.

"My mom died when I was young and I've been taking care of my little sister, Rebecca, since," Bucky begins to explain. "Although she's at boarding school right now, and sends letters to me weekly."

"She's a lucky girl," I commented. "Having a big brother like you to protect her." Bucky chuckled at my compliment. "I'm curious when you met Steve though."

"School. I stopped some bullies from beating him up on the playground and we became best friends after that," Bucky elaborated and looked down at the table. "But he's always getting himself into trouble."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Bucky looked up at me and laughed softly before sitting back in his seat slightly. "Sorry, doll. Didn't mean to bring that up. Not really something you bring up on a first date," He said, trying to change the subject.

"I don't mind," I replied softly. Bucky seemed to appreciate my kind gesture, and I think he was about to indulge my curiosity when the waiter came up to us. We ordered our food and the waiter left with a smile. I turned my attention back to Bucky. "So are you going to tell me what you meant?"

"Steve doesn't know when to quit. He doesn't like bullies, and neither do I, but I just worry about him. I think he gets it from his parents. They fought in the war and were some of the strongest people I know," Bucky explained.

"Seems like your friend is a good man," I replied.

"He is," Bucky confirmed. "Although I don't want to talk about Steve, I want to know more about you. You said you know a lot about machines."

"It's basically all my dad did with his life, but everybody's got to have a hobby, right?" I took a sip of my drink after I said that. "He taught me a majority of it, and it came fairly easy to me."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your mother like?" Bucky asked. "You haven't mentioned her yet."

"My mother is one of the strongest and kindest people I've ever known." I lightly started to play with the necklace she had given me when I was thirteen. I'm happy I wore this the day I arrived here. "She could run the entire world if given the chance, but while she always knew she loved me, it took her a while to figure out that she loved my dad."

"Wait. So when did your parents get together?" Bucky asked me.

"When I was 14," I answered.

"Sorry, but I'm confused. She raised you with your father, but didn't get with him until you were 14?" Bucky asked, making sure he heard me correctly.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized with an embarrassed laugh. "Maybe I should have mentioned that she's not my biological mother, yet is still legally my mother."

"How?" Bucky pondered.

"Before my dad became my dad, he was a bit of a playboy," I explained. "He did whatever he wanted and slept with whoever he chose, and naturally ended up getting a woman pregnant. My dad didn't know I existed until my biological mother showed up to his house a week after I had been born. She hadn't bothered to give me a name and didn't sign any of the papers that gave her responsibility over me." Bucky gave me a sympathetic look. "It doesn't bother me though. My dad wanted me and gave me the best mother on earth."

"Wow," Bucky replied. "Must have been hard to swallow when he told you that."

"It was, but it didn't change how I felt towards my dad or my mom," I explained and he nodded.

"So what are your parents up to now?" Bucky asked naturally. I opened my mouth to answer him but closed it quickly. I was about to say he's giving some form of a ted talk in the city, but then I remember I wasn't home and my dad wasn't in the city giving said speech.

"Um-" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "They died a few years ago. Car crash," I mumbled. Bucky looked at me guiltily and placed his hand over mine again.

"I'm so sorry, doll. I didn't know," Bucky apologized.

"I know," I answered. "It's not your fault. It was just fate running its stupid course." I turned my head and saw our waiter coming back with food. "Looks like the food's here," I commented and didn't move my hand from Bucky's until my dish was placed in front of me.

〜〜〜

Bucky had paid the bill, and we continued to talk, but managed to stay away from the topic of family for the rest of the night. He was leading me to our second location, which again he stated was a surprise. We walked up to a dance club and Bucky started to pull me towards the front entrance. I walked in, slightly uncomfortable, which Bucky noticed but kept a smile on his face.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Bucky asked me.

"Nothing," The second the word left my mouth Bucky turned me towards him.

"I'm starting to see a pattern here, doll," Bucky laughed.

"It's just," I looked out to the dance floor where a handful of couples were happily dancing to the jazz band playing in the back corner of the club. "I don't know how to dance," I muttered.

"What?" James asked me, having not heard me.

"I don't know how to dance," I confessed. "Give me a broken car and I can repair it in my sleep, but dancing…" I stopped talking and looked down, fiddling with my dress. I felt embarrassed and nervous about his reaction, but Bucky grabbed my hands and tilted my chin upward.

"Don't worry, darling," He said. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine."

I gulped visibly and my heartbeat filled my ears. Why was I so nervous? Follow his lead and everything will be fine, right? I don't think Bucky is one to embarrass girls for fun, but I barely know him so I could be wrong. When I glanced down I noticed Bucky holding his hand out to me. The music had changed from an upbeat tune to a slower one. I looked up into Bucky's eyes and didn't see anything that didn't give me a reason not to trust him. It was funny that I could open up about my biological birth mother abandoning me, yet not trust him with dancing.

After I slipped my hand in his, he led me to the middle of the dance floor. Bucky twirled me around before pulling me towards him and it caused me to laugh. My hand had automatically rested on his shoulder and Bucky's right hand rested on my waist while his left held my other hand. We swayed the beat on the song and as time went on I rested my head on his chest. He was about a foot taller than me, and it allowed him to rest his chin on top of my head.

"You know," Bucky said and pulled back a bit. I did too, so I could look up at him and move my left hand to rest more on his chest than his shoulder. "You're not that bad of a dancer."

"If I knew dancing equaled swaying, I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it," I explained and Bucky chuckled. He moved my right hand to rest on his arm and rested his left hand on my lower back. I laid my head back on his chest and closed my eyes as I let Bucky guide me as we danced to the soft jazz music surrounding us.


End file.
